War is truly hell in this period horror flick that makes good use of the Channel Islands to tell a tale of supernatural terror.
The story begins with two soldiers arriving on the desolate island with a mission. They are to take out the guns mounted on top of the island so they can't be used to harass troops on D-Day. They carefully make their way through the mined beach and reach the guns only to find that no guards are posted. Could it have something to do with unearthly screams coming from an adjacent bunker?
They set their charges and decide to investigate but break a cardinal rule in horror flicks by splitting up. One finds lots of dead Nazis. Normally this would be a boon for the Allies but something is far from right. Many appear to have taken their own lives while a couple of the bodies barely resemble human beings anymore.
The other soldier discovers there is still one enemy alive. Unfortunately the Nazi officer, Meyer, manages to kill him. The other soldier, Grogan, hears the shot and rushes foolishly into the dark where the cunning Meyer easily traps him. But the enemy gets the drop on him. Meyer does not, however, kill Grogan. Turns out he needs him alive and this is where things get very interesting.
Meyer explains that the unit deployed to this island had a secondary mission. They were to develop a supernatural weapon by investigating the island for books written by occultists who lived on the island and were feared as witches. One of their spell books was found and the men used it to summon a very nasty, cunning, and decidedly hungry creature.
She turns out to be a gorgeous woman named Helena. She also resembles the wife whose death in an air raid sent Grogan on a quest to kill the enemy with a reckless diligence. Meyer warns that the monster is a temptress capable of pulling mages out of her victim's minds and appearing as someone they desire. Grogan wises up to the trick and agrees to help Meyer destroy the she demon before it kills them both.
The next half hour find the pair forming an uneasy alliance but Grogan is forgetting something. The enemy came there to get a weapon and with D-day on the horizon they have little to lose by unleashing this creature on England and hoping for the best. The ritual calls for blood and Meyer may not be happy with just a drop. You can cut the tension with a knife as both the creature and Meyer tell differing stories and try to use Grogan against each other. Will he choose the right one to trust or should he go with his gut and find a way to stop them both. Good stuff with an ending that could easily lead to a sequel that would open up the story and allow for even more mayhem.
This is well made horror with little room for humor and that is nice for a change. This one will keep you in suspense while managing to provide a fair of amount of gruesome scares despite the small circle of potential victims. The actors are fine but the best here is Gina Verela as Helena. Just wait till you get a load of her in her demon form - she's one scary lady who is also sexy enough to make a deal with the devil almost attractive.
Best lines: "His girlfriend used his intestines as a necklace."
"She would make Jack the Ripper look like a Kindergarten tale"
"Some people I know in Germany actually collect teeth."

Tom Doty occasionally emerges from the Lagoon to check his e-mail. If you'd like to get a message to him, write to: dotyfox@myactv.net.